The Way Things Should Be
by Palistus
Summary: A short piece about how I envision Rem's confession scene playing out in a world where Subaru isn't such an idiot of a main character, and realizes that Rem is a far better partner than Emilia is, at least at this point in the anime. Non-graphic Subaru/Rem, one-shot fluff.


**Disclaimer: I do not own Re:Zero.**

 **I also hate this damn anime, but love it at the same time. Rem deserves better than what she got so far, though. This is a one-shot, though I'm heavily considering starting a multi chaptered fic with a female replacement of Subaru, since I only write decent length femslash fics.**

 **The first few hundred words are a direct port from the anime, because it felt important to include them as they are integral to the scene, and you can't capture the emotion behind it without them. However, a few tweaks were made and things added in, and it's only a small section.**

 **Story:**

Subaru gazed at the ground in despair, "No one expects anything of me," He stated. "No ones believes in me. I hate myself..." he ground out a desperate attempt to convey his feelings of uselessness to Rem.

"Well, I love you Subaru-kun!" Rem expressed as she placed her hand on his cheek while tears rolled down her cheeks.

"You really… Don't mind that it's me?" Subaru said wondrously as he looked up at her- At the beautiful angel that he'd been through so much with. He let out a small gasp as his heart began to throb.

" _Live," Rem had said as she lay dying in his arms moments after breaking his chains in the cave. "Love… you..." She said before collapsing_

He hadn't had time to process the meaning of that iteration of his life before, including what it had sparked in him- he never wanted to see Rem die ever again, even though it seemed to be impossible to escape. Subaru felt a pang of sadness that she hadn't agreed to run away with him, as the more he contemplated it, the more her scenario of how their lives would pan out sounded like the perfect happy ending that he had always wished for as a so-called protagonist.

Rem spoke up, "I want it to be you." She paused, smiling at him, "I would not want for it to be anyone else..." She gave him a look full of nothing but pure love and adoration. "If you cannot forgive yourself for being empty and having nothing, then let us start from here, right now." She said, stepping back and giving him a serious look.

"Start what?" Subaru asked. He had an idea of what Rem meant, but he needed to hear her say it for herself just in case.

"Just like you started my time for me when it was stopped, we will make the time that you feel is stopped for you begin to move again." She said sincerely. "Let us start here, from square one- no, from zero!" She said with a grin, throwing out her arms in an expression of openness. "If it's too hard for you to walk alone, I will hold you up- as we walk, we will share the burden and support each other. That's what you said to me that morning, isn't it? Show me how great you can be, Subaru-kun." Rem finished, an expectant look on her face- one full of hopefulness and love.

Subaru's eyes widened, and his heart thumped painfully inside his chest. He wondered what was this feeling..? As he looked at the blue-haired maid who had just bared her soul in front of him, he realized what he had been neglecting to see all this time- Rem had always been there for him, even in ways she didn't even know about anymore. Ever since he came to this world, he had been helping Emilia out whenever possible, and he hadn't even realized how close he'd truly gotten to Rem.

"Rem..." Subaru gasped out emotionally. "You really mean what you're saying, don't you?" He said, taking a step closer to her and gripping her hands in his. "I..." Subaru tried his hardest to find his response. He couldn't afford to act hastily here, but… if he rejected her here, would that really lead to anyone's happiness? Did he really love Emilia? _No…_ He thought, _not in that way._ Subaru realized that yes, he did love Emilia. He absolutely cherished her and would do anything to help her achieve her goals, but while she had his loyalty and his love, it wasn't in the way he originally thought. When Rem had described their lives playing out, he had felt so happy imagining it- it had sounded perfect and right, but he couldn't picture himself growing old happily with Emilia as a lover; he couldn't picture having a family with her, especially if she did become the queen. He wasn't born to be a king, and he wasn't born to be hers.

"Thank you Rem, for everything." Subaru said with a wide smile as he grabbed her and brought her closer to himself- embracing her while putting one hand in her hair and one on her back. "I finally see what I- no, what we need to do." He said tearfully. "I've been so blind- wasn't I the one that told you two heads were better than one? Yet here I've been trying to do everything alone, with nobody to hold me up." He continued, looking down at her. "I love you too, Rem." He whispered, causing her eyes to widen as she looked up to meet his gaze.

"Subaru… kun..." She whispered as tears flooded down her cheeks out of pure happiness, which was reflected by her bright smile that Subaru had only seen once before, when he had woken up after the ma beast incident. "I'm so happy," Rem said, clutching him tightly. She raised herself up on her heels to make herself taller, and leaned in to touch her lips to his gently, in an attempt to convey the depth of her love that she felt for the man in front of her.

"I'm glad.." Subaru sighed happily as they separated. "The knowledge that I'll have you by my side relieves me to no end. I can't do anything alone, Rem- I lack in everything, but I will change that!" Subaru yelled confidently. "I can't stay the same weak, useless guy that is powerless to change anything that happens, I swear, I will get strong enough to protect you and everyone else we care about Rem." Subaru stated, placing his hand on Rem's shoulder.

She smiled in response. "You're not weak or useless, Subaru-kun, but I'll help you in your path to getting stronger in whatever way I can." She held out her hand to him, and he grinned at her, taking it in his own.

"I guess we'd better get started, huh, Rem-chan?" Subaru smirked at her.

"Yes, Subaru-kun!" She laughed as he started walking down the stairs to get off of the platform they were on, and she quickly caught up to him to walk at his side, where she would always be.

 **End.**

 **Sorry it's a lot shorter than my usual works, even for a one shot, but I feel as though I expressed all that I set out to express in this fic.**


End file.
